Frigid Waters
by Irene14
Summary: Move quickly or McGee might not make it! One-shot. Hurt/Comfort genre so Rated T just in case. Thanks for reviewing!


**Frigid Waters**

****_A/N: A short story I had started and was pleasantly surprised to see it only needed a few finishing touches. Thank you to all who have read my stories and inspired me to continue writing! _

McGee struggled to remain upright in the seat, but given that his hands were bound behind his back it was proving to be too difficult. Abruptly, the boat picked up speed, and McGee heard the roar of a pursuing engine. It could only be Gibbs!

* * *

Bit by bit, Gibbs began to close the gap between the two boats. Behind him, Tony and Ziva both had their weapons drawn and were holding on to the rail with their free hand. _Hang on Probie_, Tony thought.

They were almost abreast of the hijacked boat when Gibbs's hasty but accurate shot deflected the kidnapper's weapon from McGee's unprotected heart, the bullet intended to kill only wounding the young agent. DiNozzo and Gibbs's weapons rang out together taking down the two kidnappers, as the third quickly dumped McGee into the frigid waters.

The stolen boat roared as the kidnapper moved in a desperate bid to escape. With a fleeting glance over his shoulder, Gibbs left white wakes behind him. This bastard injured a member of his team: he was _not _getting away!

* * *

McGee jerked as white-hot pain lanced through his side. He barely registered that two of the kidnappers were down before being shocked into awareness by icy bay waters. Struggling against the duct tape that held him, he began to slowly sink. Lungs bursting, sparks in his vision, pain in his side; the world began to go gray as he lost all sense of consciousness. . . .

* * *

DiNozzo was horrified to see crimson begin to blossom on McGee's side, as he fired at the second kidnapper. Before Tony could react, McGee was dumped into the water and the boat was gone, Gibbs giving chase. Ziva had barely slowed the boat before Tony dove into the bay, kicking furiously to reach the sinking form of his friend. Wrapping both arms around McGee's torso, he pulled Tim up, breaking the surface mere feet from Ziva.

"Here!" Ziva reached over the boat to help drag McGee aboard. Tony clambered up the back, fearing the worst as he dropped to his knees beside the still form. While he applied pressure to Tim's side with bandages from the first aid kit, Ziva expertly sliced through the duct tape bonds with her knife. Gently removing the tape from Tim's mouth, she leaned close watching for the rise of his chest; Tony nodded as he felt a weak, thready pulse under his fingertips.

"C'mon Tim, breathe! Breathe!" cried DiNozzo, as Ziva gave rescue breaths.

For a few tense moments nothing. Suddenly McGee inhaled, coughed water, and promptly vomited on the deck as Tony quickly turned him on his side. Teeth-chattering subsided slightly as Ziva spread a thick blanket over him.

"Easy Tim," Tony struggled to keep pressure on the wound as McGee first tried to sit up then fell back moaning, curled on his uninjured side. Ziva jumped up to race the boat back to the dock, Tony steadying McGee.

McGee's breathing began to labor as they pulled into the dock, his face whiter than usual. Skillfully docking the boat in record time, Ziva hopped out to help Tony as he strained against the injured man's full weight to step up on the dock.

"What about Gibbs?" Ziva barely spoke before the roar of another engine caught their attention. Gibbs was steering his boat in with the captured kidnapper securely bound on the seat nearby.

"Get the car," Tony ordered tersely, lowering McGee to the ground. Gibbs cut the engine, hauling the remaining kidnapper onto the dock and pushing him to sit on the boards. "You move, you die," he growled, the man quailing under that steely gaze.

Gibbs knelt next to Tony, gently cupping McGee's face in his hands. "Look at me, Tim, _look_ at me," he coaxed. McGee moved his head, slowly focusing on Gibbs' face. Fear! was the only thing he saw in those intelligent green eyes.

"You are _not_ going to die, you hear me?!" Gibbs commanded. "I didn't give you permission!" Reassurance flickered in Tim's eyes before the pain and shock carried him into unconsciousness.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

No ambulance would make it faster than her, Tony thought fleetingly, holding McGee against the insane Israeli's self-taught method of driving.

"C'mon, kid, stay with me," he muttered, tucking the blanket more securely around McGee's shivering form. "McGee, can you hear me?" Tony gently shook Tim's shoulder with his free hand. Eyelids fluttered, revealing a pair of dull green, pain-filled orbs.

McGee struggled to respond, only able to nod exhaustedly, barely able to maintain any sense of awareness. Suddenly he sucked in breath, crying out as a million fiery red needles shot through his right side; then he was laying on a bed with people shouting, and lights flashing by. Peaceful blackness began to envelope him, a voice echoing as he spun down, "Hang on, kid". . . .

NCIS NCIS NCIS

His head ached and his side was on fire; certain he was sweating to death, he longed for a sip of water to quench his thirst. . .

A cool cloth on his forehead and neck dispelled some of the heat. A low, soothing voice was telling him something he couldn't quite make out, and a gentle hand lifted his aching head, a cup prodding his lips. He quickly drained the cup, gasping for breath as those same hands laid him back on the soft pillow.

"Rest Tim," Gibbs whispered as McGee fell again into comforting blackness.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

A low-voiced, distant conversation filtered through his mind, as if in a dense fog. He tried to focus on it, but after awhile gave up. Fine, if they didn't want to speak to him, but at least they could have found a more private place to talk.

As the fog began to lift, he tried to open his eyes and simultaneously shield them from the intense light. But he couldn't move his arm. Kidnappers! rang through his memory; the talking had stopped. Footsteps approached. He didn't want to die; he had to escape!

Fear swirled through his brain as he registered a steady _beep beep beep_. . . .bomb. And it was armed.

Panic rose in his chest. He struggled again to release his bound arm; why did his side hurt so much?

"McGee, calm down!" a voice commanded. Firm hands gripped his shoulders, as a slim cool hand slipped into his own.

He tried to twist away from those strong hands, his mind screaming at him to run.

_Beep! beep! beep!_

"Bo-omb," he gasped out, cracking his eyes open at last.

"McGee, there is no bomb," Gibbs told him. Realization dawned on Gibbs as Ziva suddenly reached over to silence the monitor. "McGee, you're safe; no one's going to hurt you."

He finally relaxed, panting, sweat beading his temple. Gibbs released him, turning down the light as Ziva bathed his forehead with a cool cloth, and offered that wonderful cold water. He was so thirsty!

Ziva stepped back as a nurse bustled in to hang a new IV bag. Swiftly taking her patient's vitals, she seemed unruffled by Gibbs' stare. "He's ok. Call if you need anything," she said, noting the protective stance of the older man, and that he hadn't left Mr. McGee's side. _Must be his father,_ she thought, exiting the room.

Slowly Tim opened his eyes again to see a blurry outline. Blinking several times, his vision cleared enough for him to make out a concerned Gibbs. "Tim, you're in the hospital. You were shot. Do you remember?"

Memory flooded in. Kidnapped, the boat, being shot, Tony rescuing him.

"The kidnappers?" he rasped.

"Two are in autopsy, the other's in custody," Gibbs informed him. "How do you feel?"

Tim sighed. "Sore," he replied.

Gibbs smiled. "You're gonna be ok, Tim. Get some rest," he said, giving McGee a quick pat on the arm before exiting the room to answer his ringing cell.

"Yes, Boss," he whispered, closing his eyes again. He was so tired.

Ziva gently rested her hand on his cheek. "Sleep, McGee," she spoke quietly. "I will be here when you wake up."

He smiled drowsily, leaning into that cool, soft touch, as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Gibbs reentered the room, glad to see his youngest agent peacefully asleep. Ziva slipped away from McGee and approached.

"Tony I.D.'d the remaining kidnapper; Larry Reed, cousin to Lieutenant Monte Wolf," Gibbs said quietly. "The other two were just hired thugs."

Ziva recalled the Wolfe case. Two years ago, the Lieutenant had jealously murdered his almost ex-wife, leaving no fingerprints or identifying marks at the crime scene. McGee's efforts with the confiscated laptop was the break they'd needed to arrest Wolfe.

"Did Tony interrogate him?" she asked. At Gibbs' nod, she smiled, picturing Tony's wrath directed at Larry. "I am sure he sang like a parrot."

"Canary, Ziva. Sang like a canary," Gibbs corrected.

"Oh," Ziva said. "I would like to stay here tonight. At least until McGee is more aware, and more stable."

Gibbs' eyes shone warmly with approval. "Alright." Ziva checked on Tim one last time, then settled herself in the chair to doze while she had the chance.

Presently, Ziva's light snores reached his ears and Gibbs smiled. Covering her with an extra blanket, he quietly moved the other chair closer to the bed and sat down, his hand resting lightly on McGee's arm. "Sleep well, Tim."


End file.
